And Then Came Holly
by AlienSpaceWolf
Summary: Continues after Holly said she's going to San Fran. They have to make it work somehow! So...they do. Rated T but could possibly change in the future.
1. Chapter 1

**Author**** note: **Hey guys! Just wanted you know know that this is my first fic so keep that in mind. Depending on how popular this story gets (and whether you want me to or not) I might continue this story. Lastly, all errors are my own.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything related to Rookie Blue, much to my dismay.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter One**

Gail was jolted awake by the blaring alarm that was next to her bed. She was tempted to hit the snooze button but today was a special day and she needed to get ready.

She needed to get Sophie and herself ready.

Today was the first day of school for Sophie as a 5th grader. Judging by how quiet the apartment was, Sophie wasn't up yet which was new. For the past month Sophie was having a hard time sleeping and frankly so was Gail. Sophie was still getting used to having someone love her and take care of her and Gail was getting used to having someone look at her for guidance. Every time Sophie looked at her, Gail felt this fierce need to protect her and keep her safe.

_This is probably how other parents feel_ she thought as she stared up at the ceiling, enjoying the feeling that settled in her chest.

It's been two months since she moved from "Casa Peckstein-Diaz". Gail spent one whole month getting the apartment ready for Sophie. She relied heavily on Traci's advice about what to have in the house and what not to have. Who knows best about these things than a mother? And while Gail hated relying on others, she had to admit that she was grateful for Traci's help and everyone else's. They all helped one way or another, either covering shifts for her, driving her around, or giving her parenting advice, although the latter was mostly Oliver. All of her fellow officers, especially Steve, were happy for her and proud that she was going to make a difference in this little girl's life.

Gail had never been happier than the moment when Laura told her that she would finally receive custody of Sophie after waiting two years.

_Two whole years, _she mused, thinking back to the first time she talked to the social worker. That was also the same day Holly told Gail that she missed her.

Holly.

Gail still vividly remembers that day in the interrogation room where Holly kissed her passionately, admitting that she broke up with her "somebody else" because she wasn't over the blonde cop. Gail also remembers how it nearly all fell apart again three weeks later.

* * *

_ "Hey" said Holly as she walked into the women's locker room._

_ "Hey. Thanks you very much for coming to pick me up" said Gail, caressing Holly's face before kissing her._

_ "Anytime" whispers Holly. She cleared her throat before continuing, fighting down the nervousness that was trying to take over._

_ "I've got something that I want to, uh, talk to you about."_

_ "Okay. So weird because I actually have something I would like to tell you."_

_ "Okay. You go first."_

_ "Okay…okay…okay…" Gail started as she paced._

_ "I thought very long and very hard about this and it doesn't make any sense. And it just feels like the right thing to do."_

_ "What does?" asked Holly nervously. _Is she going to break up with me? _Holly thinks to herself._

_ "Um…I'm trying to adopt a little girl. I'm just starting the process, it's a very long and complicated one and I certainly don't want to get my hopes up, but its Sophie and her mom died in that apartment building and I have literally been going to visit her every week. And she's, like, she's insane and I think that you're going to love her." Gail blurted out nervously._

_ Holly starts fiddling with the keys in her hand as Gail tries to reassure her. _

_ "No, I know…I know that this is, um, this is a lot, um, but I, I'm ready to be a mom." Gail said, hopefully. Never had she laid herself bare like this before. That's what makes what she has with Holly so special._

_ Holly turned away and sat on a nearby bench before looking at Gail._

_ "I just accepted a job in San Francisco, and I was going to ask you to come with me. I leave in two weeks."_

_ "How long will you…"_

_ "It's a two year contract with a possibility to extend it…"_

_They stared into each other's eyes for a moment in complete silence before Holly looked away, her face telling Gail what she was feeling. Heartbreak._

_ Gail took a moment to think about what this meant. She thought about what Holly means to her. She remembers how painful the weeks without Holly were. The weeks where she felt lost and discovered that she was missing something important in her life. But then she found Sophie. And through Sophie she had been able to see what Holly and Oliver saw in her. She knew something would have to give though. She stood there collecting her thoughts until she came to a decision. _

_ Gail slowly walked towards Holly before kneeling in front of her and talking Holly's hand in her own. Holly's eyes widened. Gail smirked._

_ "Calm down Lunchbox. I'm not proposing or anything. At least not today." She continued without giving Holly time to process what she had just hinted at._

_ "I need you to know that if it weren't for the fact that I'm trying to adopt Sophie, I would drop everything to go with you. After all, I can be a cop anywhere. We could've been happy in San Francisco, doing things Californians do. But I am trying to adopt Sophie, which means I can't go with you. And I can't ask you to stay because this is your career we're talking about. I would never forgive myself if I prevented you from being the greatest nerd in either country." Gail paused for a moment and took a deep breath, stalling in order to gather courage for what she was going to say next. Holly waited with tears in her eyes. She knew better than to interrupt the blonde._

_ "So…I think you should go. This would be great for your career and it would open so many doors for you. And I'm going to miss you every day that I don't see you. But do you know what will keep me going? Looking forward to the monthly weekend when I'll be able to visit you." said Gail and held her breath as she waited for Holly to respond. She didn't know if this would work but she's a Peck and Pecks don't quit._

_ Holly blinked._

_ "What?" she blurted out, not entirely understanding what Gail had said._

_ "The adoption process is long. It'll be a while before I can officially adopt Sophie, if it's even possible. This means that during that time I won't have anything to hold me back from visiting you. What I'm trying to say is that I'm not willing to give up on us. I want to be with you. Even though we've only recently got back together, I think I've known for a while…Hols, I…um…I love you. And that means I can't give you up. I won't. Because you're worth it. And I know it's unfair to ask you to have a long distance relationship with me but…" Gail was interrupted when Holly's lips suddenly crashed into hers, effectively preventing Gail from continuing._

_ Holly leaned back to look at Gail. In the three past weeks that they have been together, she noticed how different Gail was. She had told Holly about how she was trying to change, sometimes by being less snarky and other times by doing acts of kindness like helping strangers move. She seemed more put together and grown up. Holly thought about all of this and thought about just how much Gail meant to her._

_ "I love you too Gail. I don't know when it happened. Probably somewhere in between the time you told me you hated people and the batting cages. I have no idea if love is enough for us but I want to try. It's going to be hard, especially for you, but I don't want to give up on us either." She said before kissing Gail. They broke apart when someone walked by them in the locker room, effectively reminding them of where they were. Holly cleared her throat before speaking._

_ "How about we go back to my place and order to take out and talk more about this?"_

_ "That sounds like a great idea."_

_ As Gail finished getting her stuff from her locker, Holly thought of something._

_ "How is this going to work with Sophie?"_

_ "What do you mean?" asked Gail as she sat down with Holly and once again grabbed her hand. Gail really enjoyed holding Holly's hand. It made her feel more connected and grounded. _

_ "What happens if you get custody of her?"_

_ Gail thought for a moment, absently running her thumb across Holly's knuckles, before answering._

_ "I would like us to be a family Holly. I wasn't kidding when I said you'd love her. She's amazing and I just really want you to meet her. And I know she will love you. I've spent the last three weeks imagining us living together in a house with a yard and a dog and Sophie running around and a bunch of other things. Your job in San Francisco only delays that. If in two years you decide that you want to stay in San Francisco than I'll put in a request to transfer over there. If you decide to come back then we can make a life here." Gail said matter-of-factly. _

_ "I can't decide our future for the three of us Gail. We have to decide on this together." Holly said, only then realizing that she had said 'three of us'. _I haven't even met Sophie yet but I'm already picturing her in our lives, _she mused._

_ And we will. All I'm saying is that while we will choose what is best for all three of us, I don't care what country we live in as long as we're happy." Gail kissed the hand she was holding before continuing._

_ "We'll just have to wait and see. Until then how about we make time for you to meet Sophie. I've told her about you and she wants to meet you."_

_ "Really?" Holly asked a little excited._

_ "Yea. She thinks what you do is cool. Just like I do."_

_ Holly smiled at that and for the first time that day she want so scared about what the future held for her. Gail had that effect on her. _

_ As they walked out of the locker room holding hands Holly looked over at Gail. _

_ "Were you serious when you said you'd visit me every month?"_

_ "Yup."_

_ "Gail…you're insane. You know that right?"_

_ "I believe we've covered that already."_

_ "Yes. But it's worth pointing out again. Flying is expensive Gail. Not to mention finding the time to go._

_ Gail looked over at Holly._

_ "Lunchbox, one of the pros about being a police officer is that we get a good amount of vacation days, all of which I have hardly ever taken and so now I have almost five years of accumulated vacation days I can spend with you walking the streets of San Francisco. As for money, I have a generous amount of money in my savings that my father gave me after graduating at the top of my class from the academy."_

_ "He gave you money?" Holly asked as they made their way to her car._

_ "Yea. I mean, we're not rich by society standards, but my family is well off. My parents live in the "Peckmansion" that Steve and I grew up in. Neither of them has ever believed in buying superficial things so they invest their money instead. We're probably the richest family of cops around."_

_ "Wow."_

_ "Mhm. So what do you want to eat? Chinese or Italian?"_

* * *

Gail smiles at the memory. She hadn't expected to tell Holly that she loved her and she certainly hadn't expected Holly to say "I love you too." Gail had spent so much time thinking that no one could possibly love her and then came Holly and she happily proved Gail wrong.

Before Gail could reminisce anymore, she heard movement in the other room. _Sophie is awake now._

"Which means I have to get up to make breakfast" she said out load to no one.

* * *

As they sat in the island eating cereal Gail's phone beeped. It was a text from Holly.

**H: **_Tell Sophie I hope she has a wonderful day at school for me will you?_

**G:** _I will. She misses you by the way._

**H: **_She won't have to wait so see me much longer. I'll be there in two weeks._

Gail felt chills run through her as she remembered that Holly would finally be back. Permanently. They had decided that it would be better if they stayed in Toronto than to live in San Francisco, simply because that was better for Sophie. Holly would be coming back to take over the spot of Chief Medical Examiner of Toronto Police.

"Is that Holly whose texting you?"

Gail looked up to see Sophie watching her in between spoonfuls of cereal.

"Yes it is. She said that she hopes you have a wonderful first day of school."

"When is she coming back? Will she be here for your first day as a detective?"

Detective. Gail was still getting used to hearing that. She was excited and a little surprised to be promoted to detective. She had taken the time and effort to fill out the application properly this time. After all, she had a daughter to consider now and being a detective would mean less crazy hours and higher pay. Everyone had assured her that she would get the promotion but she hadn't been sure given everything that had happened in the last three years. But she got it and therefore this was going to be her last week as a patrol officer before she hand to hang up her uniforms. She managed to take the only available spot in the Sex Crimes unit. While everyone wanted to go into Homicide, Narcotics, or Guns and Gangs, Gail felt that the work that was done in the Sex Crimes unit was equally important and she honestly believed she could make a difference there.

"No, but she will be here in two weeks, just in time to see your first soccer game sweetheart."

"Oh okay" said Sophie, returning her attention back to the cereal in front of her.

Gail smiled at her but that went completely unnoticed by the little girl who was now in her own world. Before she could reply to Holly, she received another text from the beautiful brunette.

**H:** _But I'm sorry that I'll have to miss you're first day as a detective. :(_

Its moments like these that make her fall in love with Holly even more. She's not even here and yet it's like she didn't miss a single aspect of the conversation between Sophie and herself.

**G: **_Don't worry. You'll make it up to me. ;)_

**H: **_I look forward to it._

**G: **_I do too._

**H: **_As much as I would love to tell you about all the ways that I can make this up to you, aren't you supposed to be driving Sophie to school right now?_

Gail looked at the time. Shit! They were going to be late if they didn't leave now.

**G: **_I love you, you know that right?_

"It's time to go Sophie. You can't be late to your first day of school," says Gail as she picks up Sophie's things that are already by the door.

**H: **_Who wouldn't? I'm awesome. :p_

Gail managed to send one more text before rushing out the door with her daughter right behind her.

**G: **_I'm lucky you are. I'll talk to you later. Have a great day at work and make sure you show all the other dorks that you're queen of the nerds. _

**H: **_Ha! Will do. I love you too Gail. Take care of my cop._

* * *

_So let me know what you guys thought. If you guys have any questions I will answer them to the best of my ability. And remember, the more reviews I get the more motivated I'll be and the shorter you'll have to wait for the next chapter._

_And I apologize for any errors this story had._


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note:** Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait. School started and then I changed jobs and all of a sudden I didn't have to write. But I finally finished this chapter. Hopefully the next one won't take as long. Now I'm posting this so you have something to read but I only did 35% editing so I'm sorry for any mistakes you encounter. Other than that, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Rookie Blue or any of its characters. Which sucks.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"How about the burgundy one?"

"Eh. It doesn't fit my mood. Doesn't scream 'Badass'."

"Hmm. Then what about the blue one? It brings out the color in your eyes."

"It does, doesn't it? Blue it is."

"Are you nervous for your first day as a detective?" asks Holly through the phone.

"No."

"Gail…"

"I'm not nervous. It's just that it feels like I'm a rookie all over again."

"But you've been a cop for 6 years. You're not a rookie."

"Yeah, but it feels that way. Even though I've been in uniform for 6 years and even though I know I'm a good cop who will be a great detective, I'll still be treated as the new detective in the division and while I am new, I'm not looking forward to it."

"I wish I was there with you." sighed the brunette.

"Me too."

"Only one more week before I'm finally home."

Gail paused and let that sink in. She felt utter joy at being told that she-_they_-were Holly's home. This made her smile. Gail couldn't wait until Holly was finally in her arms.

"Gail?"

"Yeah?"

"You'll be great. You're a peck after all."

"Right."

"We'll talk later?"

"Definitely."

"Don't forget that the belongings I shipped should be arriving today in the evening."

"Of course. I marked it on the calendar in big bright red letters."

"Really?"

"No. Sophie did that. But don't worry. If I'm not here, I'll ask someone to be here. Probably Steve."

"Alright. Tell Sophie I love her for me please."

"I will."

"I love you."

"I love you more Lunchbox. Have a good run. Lombard Street is a workout."

"How would you know?" Holly says, laughing as she remembers Gail's look of disdain when they had tried walking up the steep sidewalk of Lombard Street when Gail first visited San Francisco. They didn't make it very far before they turned around at Gail's insistence, claiming that she didn't come here to exercise unless it involved a bed.

"I'm going to ignore that. Goodbye Doctor."

"Goodbye Detective." Gail could still hear her laughing before they hang up.

* * *

Once Gail was dressed, she went into the kitchen and found Sophie eating her cereal on the kitchen island.

"Good morning sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" says Gail as she makes her morning coffee

"Yeah. I didn't wake up last night."

"That's good!"

"Mhm. How's Holly?" asks Sophie once she's done eating. She knows Gail likes to call Holly at least once a day, usually in the mornings.

"She's excited to finally come home. She told me she loves you and that you should do all your homework. "

"I always do my homework."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup. How else am I going to become a doctor if I don't do my homework?" she said matter-of-factly.

"That's right!" Gail wasn't bothered by the fact that Sophie showed no interest in pursuing law enforcement as a career. In fact, she was happier knowing that she might not have to spend her motherhood worrying about Sophie being hurt on the job. Pursuing medicine wasn't going to automatically keep her safe from all dangers, she knew, but it was safer than being a police officer. And it also gave Holly something to talk to Sophie about. The two most important people in her life could geek out together.

"Do you want me to check it over before we go?"

"That's okay. Ms. O'Leary checked it while I was waiting for Officer Diaz to pick me up yesterday."

"I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up sweetheart."

"I know. You were working. Your work is important and sometimes you even save lives. I get it, you know?"

Gail felt the prickling of tears in the corners of her eyes but quickly blinked them away. While Gail was happy Sophie understood the impact her job had on their lives, she still felt the guilt that also brought the feelings insecurity. Maybe she couldn't do this. Maybe she couldn't be a mom. But she remembered the conversation she had with Oliver a few months ago.

* * *

_Gail knocked on the door and waited to hear the 'come in' before she stepped into the office. She knew what she had to say and had rehearsed the speech dozens of times. She could do this. She _had_ to do this._

"_Peck! What can I do for you?" asked Oliver as he leaned back in his chair, welcoming the distraction from all the paperwork he had to do._

"_I'm going to apply for the detective rotation that is coming up." said Gail hesitantly._

_Oliver was surprised. While he knew Gail would make an excellent detective or TO, he never noticed any interest in either until now._

"_Are you being pressured to do this?"_

_Gail understood that to mean _is this your mother's doing?

"_No. I want to." Gail paused for a moment and was thankful Oliver patiently waited for her to continue._

"_I'm trying to adopt Sophie, the little girl from the apartment shootings last year. And I've thought about this very long and I know this is the right thing to do, to adopt her."_

"_So you're applying to be a detective because it's safer and the hours are more manageable?"_

"_And the pay increase doesn't hurt."_

"_No it doesn't."_

_They were silent for a moment while Oliver gathered his thoughts before speaking._

"_I've seen you grow from the rookie you once were to the amazing cop you are today. I've seen you grow from being closed off to letting people in. At first I thought it was all thanks to Holly but after she left you kept growing and becoming the Gail that I see right in front of me. Now I see that it wasn't just because of Holly but little Sophie had a hand in this as well. So if you're sure you're doing the right thing then I will back up your choice." Oliver said as he walked around his desk to stand in front of Gail._

"_Thanks Oliver."_

"_You're going to make a great mother Gail and that little girl is going to get an amazing family of cops, courtesy of 15. Is there anything you need to help you with the adoption?"_

"_One more reference couldn't hurt." Gail says shyly._

"_I'll make a call. I'm proud of you kiddo. But you need to promise me something?"_

"_What?"_

"_Let us help you. Let me help you. You've met my first born. I know things you're going to need to know one day."_

"_That's it?"_

"_That's it."_

"_Okay."_

"_Good. We should celebrate. We should go shopping for shoes."_

"_And weapons."_

"_And weapons."_

* * *

Gail blinked the memory away and pushed down her insecurities. Oliver had told her that parents don't raise children by themselves and so accepting help was alright. And that's what she did yesterday when Diaz offered to pick up Sophie saying that he needed to teach her how to beat Gail in her favorite video games. She accepted his help, proof that she was indeed growing.

Gail smiled down at Sophie who was looking at her curiously before hugging her and kissing the top of her head.

"Thanks for being so understanding. Are you ready to go?"

"Yea."

* * *

Gail walked into 15 with her coffee in her hand and ran into Traci.

"Detective Peck. How's it going?" asked Traci smiling at the new detective who was now slightly blushing and trying to hide her own smile.

"Detective Nash. I'm good. Life is good."

"That's good. But that's not all is it?"

"Are you psychic now?"

"No. But I was once a rookie detective."

"I just don't want people to think that the reason I'm a detective is because of my last name."

"No one is going to think that Gail."

"I would."

"Look, you've got to shake off that negativity and come out of the gate running. You are Gail Peck and you are here because you deserve to be here and that's what everyone is going to know." Traci said, giving her the same pep talk that was given to her by their mutual friend McNally.

"Nice pep talk coach. Now If you'll excuse me, I have things to do."

"Nice outfit by the way." Says Traci as Gail walks away.

"I know. Holly picked it out." Says Gail over her shoulder with a smug look on her face.

_It's good that she's happy._ Traci muses before shouting, "I'll see you tonight to help you put Holly's things away!"

"Only if you bring Leo!" yells Gail before disappearing around the corner.

* * *

Gail stopped by Oliver's office before heading to her new desk in the detective's bullpen.

"Detective! What can I do for you today?" say Oliver, happy to see his favorite rookie.

"Hey Staff Sergeant. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing now that I'm not out on the streets."

"We miss you out there. Who's going to help me bust grow-ups now?"

"White shirts aren't allowed to bust grow-ups Oliver. Your job is to rule from here like the other white shirts do."

"Shh. What they don't know won't hurt them. Are you ready for your first day?" asks Oliver as they walk out of his office and towards the Sex Crimes Unit.

"Yes. I've heard good things about the detectives that work in the SCU. I'm looking forward to working with them but more importantly, making a difference you know?"

"With the victims?"

"Yeah. After what happened with Perick and what happened to Sophie, I learned that people who have experience similar things deserve the best we can offer them. That's me." says Gail as they reach the floor of the SCU. They stop by the entrance and a man walks toward them once they're noticed.

"I'm proud of you Peck. You're going to do great things here and you're going to change people's lives."

"Thanks Oliver." says Gail, smiling shyly at her friend and former partner before noticing the man who has now reached them and is looking at Gail expectantly. Something about him seems familiar.

"Detective Davis. Good to see you. Let me introduce you to your new detective, Gail Peck." says Oliver as he shakes the detective's hand.

"Nice to meet you detective Peck." he says genuinely, showing off his kilowatt smile that reads off as friendly. All the years of etiquette training she underwent kick in.

"I'm looking forward to working with you detective." she says as she tries to remember where she heard his name before.

"Good. Then let's get to work. Thank you for the visit Staff Sargent. Don't let the desk kill you with all that paper work." says Davis, cheekily.

"Funny Detective." says Oliver as he walks away with one last wave at Gail.

Once Oliver leaves Davis looks at Gail expectantly. When she simply raises an eyebrow she notices he looks a little dejected but starts walking to empty – now her – desk that's next to his.

"You'll be with me for the rest of the week while you get associated with everyone and how we run things here. Sound good?"

"Yeah" says Gail, secretly happy she wasn't paired up with another Chloe. There's no way in hell she could get anything done if that happened.

As Davis goes on to talk about the case he is working on (a joint investigation with Guns and Gangs involving a suspected prostitution ring) the realization of why he's so familiar hits her like a train, leaving her completely dumbfounded. She thought that maybe it was because she's seen him in one of the many police gatherings that her mother has made her attend. But she was wrong. She met him long before she attended and police convention as a police officer.

"John?" Gail says hesitantly.

Detective Davis looks at her surprised.

"You remember?"

"Holy shit. Yeah I do."

"Took you long enough Peck."

"You douche! Why didn't you say anything!" Gail smacks him the arm before she could stop herself. Luckily John didn't care. He shrugged.

"I figured it might be better to let you remember on your own."

"I can't believe I forgot…"

"Don't worry about it. You've had a lot going on. But now that you remember, you should come over to my house sometime and meet my family. You can meet my little girl."

Gail nodded absently as she remembers meeting John for the first time. He had just moved into the neighborhood when they were both 10 years old and his parents came over to her house to meet her parents. Meeting their new neighbors, they called it. Gail and John became friends over their mutual love of Star Wars. He was always welcomed at her house once her mother found out that he had a genuine interest in becoming a cop. He even went on ride along with her parent. He had stayed around until he moved away before their senior year of high school. Despite how much they hung out, it went unsaid that they were better off as friends than something more, much to her mother's dismay. They both thought it was for the best. Once John moved, Gail had gotten caught up with her senior year, her job as a waitress, then Nick, the academy and then her career as a cop that she had forgotten about him. John on the other hand hadn't forgotten about her (who could forget a Peck?) and kept tabs on her career. He was sad to hear what happened to her with Perick. Recently he found out that she had adopted a little girl whose mother she had tried to save. He had been pleasantly surprised but it made sense to him. He had noticed how well she was with her baby sister, who had been 8 then, when she helped him babysit. He really was looking forward to working with her but also to catch up and maybe have his back.

"Yeah. And you can meet Holly once she gets back and my daughter Sophie."

"The little girl you adopted right?"

"You heard about that?" Gail says, surprised that he knew.

"Your mother told me."

"You speak with my mother?!"

"Well I wouldn't call it speaking when she suddenly shows up in your department and tells you that your long-lost friend is going to be working with you."

"She said that?"

"I'm paraphrasing but yeah. That was the gist of it."

"Hmm."

"So who's Holly?" Davis asks once they reach her desk.

"My girlfriend. She's coming back from San Francisco next week." Gail said as she closely watched his reaction.

to his credit, John didn't bat an eye.

"Maybe we can set something up once she comes back? I can even invite my sister Susan. I'm sure she would love to see you again and I would love to meet Holly and Sophie."

Gail was surprised he took the news of her new-found sexuality well, but didn't let it show. She shrugged.

"I'll let you know when."

"Good. Now let's get you caught up on where we're at with this case."

* * *

As soon as she walks through the door, she can hear the kids playing in the living room. She had texted Traci before leaving the station that she was going to pick up pizza for dinner but she could help herself to whatever was in the fridge if she got hungry before the pizza arrived. She should have known that Traci would relay this message to Steve who would then help himself to the beer that was in the fridge. Her beer.

Sure enough, when she found them in the kitchen, Steve was casually leaning against the kitchen island drinking her beer.

"Is that my beer you're drinking?"

"Before Steve could deflect, Sophie came running into the kitchen and practically tackled Gail, hugging her like she hadn't seen her this morning. Gail could get used to this really fast. She quickly forgot about Steve.

"Hey sweetheart. How was school?"

"Today we learned about how the body works."

"That's good! That's going to be important to know if you want to be a doctor."

"My teacher said that I'm going to dissect a frog in high school. Is that true?"

"I don't know baby. Why don't you ask Holly if that's what she did when you talk to her?"

"Can I call her now?"

Gail looked at her watch. If she was doing to math correctly Holly would still be at lab, probably finishing up a report or something. She always tried to take into account the 3 hour time difference before contacting her. It would be better to wait until Holly was at home.

"Let's have dinner first and then we can call her okay?"

"Okay."

"Take Leo with you and go wash up so we can eat." Gail grabs herself a beer as she watches the kids take off and run to the restroom.

"Motherhood really agrees with you." says Steve once the kids were out of earshot. He's happy that their mother didn't stand in her way of the adoption. She had talked to him about getting Gail to 'drop this nonsense' but he had refused saying that this would be a good thing for her. He was right. Sophie was helping Gail become the women she was meant to be and she also served as a distraction for Holly's absence.

"Thanks. I hear you're fitting into the role of "cool uncle" very well. She told me you took her out for ice cream earlier today."

"I want her to know that there are other flavors out there besides cookies and cream."

"Why bother when none of them taste as good?"

"Alright you two. Let set up the dinner table before the old age argument about ice cream starts." says Traci, slowly shaking her head at the two of them while smiling at their antics. Loving Pecks can never be boring.

"But seriously, thanks you two. I appreciate your guy's help and stuff."

"It's not a problem Gail. You would do the same for me. In fact, you already have. You've taken care of Leo many times.

"That's because I'm awesome like that. And it pays to be the favorite Aunt you know."

"I know it does. Who do you think is Sophie's favorite Aunt?" says Traci, her eyes twinkling.

"Huh. I never thought of that."

* * *

Once Sophie was tucked into bed, Gail went back to her room where her laptop was waiting for her. Traci and Steve had left before Sophie's bedtime with the promise to return the next night to finish putting Holly's things away. Who knew her nerd owned so many things?

She could hear sounds coming for the speaker of her laptop.

"What are you doing Lunchbox?" asks Gail as she settled herself onto her bed and looked at the figure on her screen.

"I'm packing the rest of my things. Whatever I don't need" responds Holly as she places items into a box.

"So you're going to pack up your fleece last?"

"Exactly. It's chilly over here. But you already got my backpack collection right?"

"Yup. And I already put it away. It's hidden in the deepest darkest corner of our closet where no one will even see it."

"Oh good. Wouldn't want anyone thinking they all belong to you."

"Nerd,"

"Softy."

"Holly!"

"What? It's true!"

"You have no proof!"

"Wanna bet?"

"..."

"Exactly. Nerd: 1, Softy: 0."

"I hate you." Gail grumbles without bite.

"I love you too babe."

"I need to go to bed soon."

"I know. I need to finish packing and writing my last reports."

"Only 5 more days."

"I know."

"And then you'll be here."

"Yes I will."

"I wish time would go by faster."

"Time will fly by. Especially with your new case."

"Yeah. You have to meet my new partner. We were friends growing up until he moved away. My mother really liked him."

"Really? Is it awkward?" Holly asks as she stops packing to look up at the screen.

"No. We connected right away like we did when we were kids. In fact, we're supposed to go have dinner with him and his family once you're here."

"Where's Gail and what have you done with her?" Holly said jokingly.

Gail glared at her through the screen without menace.

"I'm serious Lunchbox! He's an old friend. Probably the really first friend I even had, before Traci...and you."

Holly's eyes soften at Gail's declaration. It amazed her how much Gail has grown as a person, even if it was without Holly at her side.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah. If you want to have dinner with him and his family then we will."

"He wants to meet you."

"Yeah?" says Holly as she goes back to packing.

"He wants to meet the woman who got me to be nice."

"He said that?"

"Yup."

"He must not know the real you then. How does he not know you have the consistency of a marshmallow on the inside?"

"You're really pushing the 'I'm soft on the inside' idea aren't you?"

"Only because it's true."

"You know what else is true?"

"That I love you?"

"That and that cheese puffs are the greatest food source on the planet."

"Gail…"

"Oh. And that I love you too."

"More than cheese puffs?"

"I'm getting kind of sleepy Lunchbox. I'm going to call it a night and go to sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow okay? Byyyyye."

"Gail!" was all Holly could say before Gail shut the laptop. Gail giggled (she actually giggled) as she pulled out her phone to send one last text to the woman she loves.

**G: **Yes Lunchbox. I love you more than all the cheese puffs in the world. ;) Goodnight.

Gail put her phone away and went to bed before reading Holly's response.

**H:** I know. Now if only I could get you to love me more than coffee…

* * *

I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I don't know when I'll post another chapter but hopefully it'll be soon. Quick question. Would you rather I do shorter chapters that I could post faster or longer chapters that would take me longer to post? Let me know. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note**: So here's the next chapter. Not as long as the previous one but I really wanted to focus on Gail and Holly and a little bit of Sophie. Now that Golly is back and happy, I'll be able to focus more on other things like the case Gail is working on and other characters as they relate to Gail in the next chapters (yay more chapters!). So far this is centered on Gail's life and while I don't think it's going to change, I'm not going to rule out the possibility of changing that got a chapter or two if it makes sense. Also, because I've been to San Francisco, I plan on incorporating my experiences and making them into Gail's memories, sort of like the bit about Lombard street in the previous chapter, so you'll be seeing some flashbacks in the upcoming chapters. Sound good? Awesome.

Secondly, I want to thank all of those who have liked this story so far and are following my story, those that are following me, have favorited my story, have favorited me, have written a review and those who didn't (because why not?), and to those who took the time to read it. You guys are great and I appreciate you.

Thirdly, I'm sooooooooooooo sorry about how long this took! Between a new job, school projects, and midterms, everything ganged up on me. But I carved out some time to write this because you all deserve it. But I'm sorry it's short. Don't hate me?

Lastly, all the mistakes here are my own (although I did have someone go over this, for once)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Rookie Blue or any of it's characters, but wouldn't it be awesome if I did?

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Gail griped the steering wheel of her car tightly. She played with the idea of turning on her sirens so that all the cars would move out of the way. Couldn't they see she was in a hurry? She had to get to the airport and fast! There was no way she was going to be late to pick up Holly, not when she has waited two years for this moment.

The siren isn't a toy Gail her mother had sternly told her when she was a child. It's only to be used when necessary.

Screw it she thought. This was necessary.

As expected, the cars quickly moved out of her way once the sirens were blaring, allowing her to drive above the speed limit to make up for lost time. And its not like it's her fault she was running late. It was Steve's fault. He left her with all the paperwork from their case claiming that she needed to "experience the hardships that all beginning detectives do." While she appreciated being treated like any other detective, she didn't need this today. All that paperwork made her leave 15 later that when she had planned which is why she had been stuck in traffic. So thanks to Steve, Gail had to resort to misusing police equipment. Oh well.

Gail made to the airport in record time, turned off the sirens, parked by the entrance even though it wasn't a parking spot and ran through the main entrance. She arrived in time to hear that the plane from San Francisco was now disembarking.

Gail's phone chirped from her pocket, signaling she had received a text as she walked to the waiting area.

**H**: _Picked up my bag. Where are you?_

**G**: _By the front._

**H**_: Are you the smoking hot blonde that's scowling down at her phone?_

Gail looked up from her phone and found the most beautiful pair of chocolate brown eyes staring at her. While she loved every aspect of Holly (and what's not to love?), Holly's eyes were her favorite. They always looked at Gail with a mix of love, adoration, and amusement. She hadn't noticed until just then how much she missed looking at them. While video chatting was one of the many ways they communicated for the past two years, the grainy images hadn't done her eyes justice. It completely missed the hazel specks that are sprinkled around Holly's iris.

"Are you just going to keep staring or are you going to kiss me?" Holly asked, amused by Gail's appearance. Her shirt was wrinkled, here were faint specks of dirt on one of her pant legs, and that cowlick was distracting her. She watched as Gail pinched herself on her left arm. Holly raised an eyebrow.

"I had to see if I was dreaming," was all Gail said before she launched herself at Holly. She hugged her tight before giving Holly her I-love-you-so-much-I'm-so-glad-you're-finally-back-home kiss. It was like finally being whole again. Kissing was better than how either of them remembered. When they finally leaned back to give each other a chance to breath again, they stared at each other and memorized the little things that had changed. Holly had let her hair grow a little longer than usual and there were a little more laugh lines by her eyes but otherwise remained the same. Gail on the other hand changed quiet a bit. While she still kept her hair short, and fought with her cowlick every morning, her hair was darker, a more natural blonde. She also carried this air of confidence about her that didn't seem like the front it used to. Gail looked happier, more peaceful, Holly concluded.

"Are you ready to go?" asked Gail breaking the silence.

"Yeah. Take me home."

* * *

The drive home was mostly silent but they kept sneaking glances at each other, almost as if to reassure themselves that the other wouldn't disappear when they weren't looking. Gail carried Holly's bags into the apartment.

"Where's Sophie?" Holly asked as she took in the decor of her new home.

"With Andy. It was her day off and she volunteered to take care of Sophie since I couldn't. I wasn't sure about it but she's been really good about paying attention and assured me she wouldn't lose her in a park. She also mentioned something about needed practice for when she and Sam had one of there own."

"So you two are okay then? You never really talked about her."

"Yeah we're good. We got back on track sometime after you left. She kept bringing me doughnuts saying 'you'll forgive me one day if I keep bringing you doughnuts'. She was right but I forgave her long before she stopped bringing me doughnuts. She still does every once in a while." Gail says as she looks at Holly looking at all the photos in the living area. There's were recent and had been Sophie's idea. The second Gail has a chance, she will take a few pictures of the three of them so she can proudly display in their home and at her desk. But not now when she had other plans in mind.

Gail walked slowly and wrapped her arms around Holly, letting her lean back as she continued to take in her surroundings while she spoke.

"It looks like a lively home."

"It does. But now that you're here it actually feels like one."

Holly turned around and wrapped her arms around Gail's neck as she leaned down to kiss her.

"How about you show me where our bedroom is?"

* * *

They didn't leave the bedroom for hours, choosing simply to stay in bed and talk in between bouts of love making. They talked about everything; Sophie, work, friends, them. Gail also mentioned the party.

"What party?" Asked Holly as she slowly traced patterns across Gail's back while Gail laid on top of her, resting her head on the nook between Holly's heck and her shoulder.

"Your 'we're so glad you're back because now Gail won't be as grumpy' party that they're having at Oliver's house tomorrow. Not that we have to go if you don't want to."

"Do you want to go?"

"A little. I mean this is to celebrate that you're finally here. That's even better than celebrating Christmas."

"It is?"

"Yes."

"Okay how?"

Gail leaned back to look at Holly straight in the eye.

"Because people give me the worst gifts on Christmas but you are the best thing that has ever happened to me, before Sophie happened, and that should definitely be celebrated."

Holly looked at her with tears in her eyes that she was desperately trying to blink away.

"How long do we have until Andy drops off Sophie?"

"One hour."

"How about we make good use of that time and start celebrating early?"

Gail didn't say anything but kissed her with such passion that it left no doubt in Holly's mind that this is where she belonged.

* * *

So as you can see, I'm bad at posting up updates. Once again I am oh so sorry. Can't promise I'll get better at it though.

Next chapter: Holly + Gail + Sophie time and introducing what case Gail is working on.

Also, I have a Tumbler now so feel free to follow me there: zennyh12. Thank you for all your patience!


End file.
